Jim Baird brings a wealth of experience to his job—he has been a state lawmaker, county commissioner, farmer, and small business owner. His variety of experiences comes through in his lawmaking and high priority on agriculture policy. Baird is a lifelong resident of the Putnam County area, west of Indianapolis. He grew up on a family farm and attended Purdue University, where he was in ROTC, and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science. Baird was drafted into the Army and served as a 2nd lieutenant in Vietnam, earning two purple hearts and a bronze star.